Handles on appliances, e.g., refrigerators and microwaves in a home, laboratory equipment, etc. are among the most contaminated (with germs, bacteria, and/or viruses) elements one encounters on a daily basis. Namely, due to frequent contact of appliance user's hands with food (such as raw ingredients) and again with the appliance's handle, and due to the multiplicity of appliance users (either in residential settings, office settings and/or commercial use as in restaurants or in laboratories) handles become hubs of germs. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), food-borne diseases cause about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. A variety of different disease causing microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, can be transmitted by dirty hands. Some other settings where bio-contaminates are a concern include: contamination of tests involving nucleic acid amplification, where foreign nucleic acids can contaminate specimens, or where RNases may alter tested nucleic acids; and hospital settings, where pathogenic microorganisms, especially multi-drug resistant bacteria, as well as spores, may be transferred from one patient to another through the environment, with contact of patients or medical personnel with handles being an important way of transmission.
Disinfecting wipes are effective in eliminating some types of microorganisms. However, these are too cumbersome for regular use, and can pose environmental concerns. Users can wear gloves to reduce the spread of germs. However, if the gloves themselves come in contact with contaminates or germs, their efficacy becomes negligible. Regular use of gloves is also cumbersome, and impractical in certain setting such as in a household. Other measures have been proposed, such as the use of pedals or other foot activated means to operate appliances. Yet, closure of the door, cover, or lid is still performed using the handle, and the pedal is not amendable for all appliances.
Thus, there is a need for an effective mechanism to eradicate bio-related contamination from the surface of appliance door handles.